'Where there’s a will, there’s a way’ — if someone really wants to do something, they will find a way to do it, even if there are hurdles in the way that make it hard to do.

This is the first phrase that comes to mind after meeting young Misbah Hina, who is not just an athlete from a far-flung area of Pakistan, the Hunza Valley, but is also a visionary and a motivator. But she didn’t become all these things overnight. It all came to her through her own struggles.

The girl hailing from a conservative area had to face several challenges along the way, but she managed to make her way out of the mountains and landed up in Islamabad to establish an academy for other young girls to follow their dreams.

Misbah Hina’s is a story of sheer resilience. Born in 1995 in Hunza, she is part of a family of eight sisters and one brother. Both her parents are well-respected teachers, who have contributed a lot to their community. All her siblings are highly educated — they are either medical doctors or PhDs.

Misbah, too, had initiated studies in pre-medical after matriculation, but it was her inclination towards sports, particularly volleyball, that eventually won out.

“I would play volleyball during my college hours, though support from the community was almost zero,” Misbah remembers. “They would say to me that there is no future in sports, especially when you are a girl.”

Misbah’s love for volleyball started when she was in class six. She had been selected in her school volleyball team and they would travel to a nearby city, some three hours’ drive away, to participate in a regional volleyball event.

“My family was not in favour of my playing a sport full-time but I could not stop myself from playing. I even dreamt of volleyball when asleep,” Misbah smiles. 

The next couple of years saw her improving to such an extent that she was getting invitations to take part in out-of-station competitions, which was when she had to face her biggest challenge — she had to convince her father.

“I will not say that my father or my family were discouraging — let’s say they were curious,” says Misbah with a wry smile. “But still, taking up a sport professionally was something quite new to my family.” 

Then there was another problem. “Unfortunately I couldn’t get selected for these tournaments because I was underage,” she says. But, as time went by, Misbah did get more chances to play in various local events, through which she blossomed even further.

The big break came in 2016, when she was selected for the Jubilee Games in Dubai. “That Dubai tournament was truly a turning point, from where I took off and kept on flying,” Misbah says.

And then she got an offer from one of the major departmental teams, Pakistan Army, to join them. She joined the Army squad, and was later picked by Punjab University on a fully-funded scholarship. “That was when the family pressure also diminished. I was getting an education as well as taking an active part in sports,” Misbah says.

It was in 2019 when another opportunity came Misbah’s way and she embarked on an exchange programme to the United States. It was a programme initiated by the US embassy in Pakistan that hoped to address gender-based violence and drug use in Pakistan by involving the youth in sports.

“That trip changed me altogether,” Misbah says. “Would you believe Pakistan does not have a national volleyball team for women? It is a sad fact, but true!” Obviously, it wasn’t just her volleyball skills that were developed on that trip.

Since the chance to play for her country wasn’t available, Misbah decided to take a different route. She launched a volleyball course for women.

“It was on my tour to Dubai that I had witnessed the facilities there up close. There were six to seven amazing volleyball courts there for girls. I thought that the girls in Pakistan should at least have half those facilities,” Misbah says. 

“Soon I got a chance to attend a seminar on ‘Young leaders in sports’. Afterwards, I also received a seed funding grant from Right To Play, an International Non-Government Organisation for kids from underprivileged backgrounds who want to play sports, to hold a training camp. Some 200 girls participated in that. That was very heartening for me,” she says.

In 2022, Right To Play also offered Misbah a job.

“My next aim is to train girls abroad. I recently visited Azerbaijan and have had fruitful meetings with the officials of their Volleyball Federation. I am very hopeful to achieve this goal soon,” Misbah says.

During the last edition of the Pakistan Super League, Misbah was acknowledged for her service to girls’ sports, in particular her work in volleyball, during a segment titled ‘Hamaray Heroes’[Our Heroes].

“Such encouragement is the need of the hour. I felt so honoured,” Misbah admits.

Misbah has surely come a long way. But as she eyes crafting space for more women in Pakistan in the field of sports, her greatest achievement may still be yet to come.

The writer is a sports journalist associated with the electronic media. X: @mak_asif

Published in Dawn, EOS, October 29th, 2023